Getting that extra hour of daylight in early March seems to bring out something in people. The act of setting the clocks forward puts a little spring in our step, conjuring up dreams of more time spent outdoors trying new things or traveling to far-flung places. Here are some ideas to spark your adventurous nature with activities in destinations ranging from Rome and Newfoundland to Costa Rica and Montana, as well as some spots closer to home.
Off the grid in Newfoundland
Wild, remote Fogo Island in Newfoundland, Canada, will make you feel like you’ve reached the edge of the world, especially at the Fogo Island Inn, a striking, contemporary structure built on a rocky wind-swept point facing the North Atlantic. The inn is an ecotourist’s dream with its array of land-based outdoor adventures included in the daily rate. In late spring, that includes wildlife watching excursions to see caribou, whales and more, and “bushcraft” expeditions in which guests go off the grid in an old-growth forest to learn skills like fire making, spoon carving and brewing tea from foraged plants and berries, among other wilderness survival techniques. From June 5-9, Wild Wanderings ($225) is a three-day excursion that gives guests an immersive land and sea experience including a bushcraft excursion and a boat trip to Little Fogo Islands to see puffins and whales while navigating icebergs.
Fogo Island Inn. $1,720 and up. All meals, on-island transportation and land-based activities included. 210 Main Road, Joe Batt’s Arm, Newfoundland A0G 2X0, Canada. 709-658-3444, fogoislandinn.ca.
Cowboy School in Montana
Hidden away in the foothills of Montana’s Bitteroot Range, Triple Creek Ranch offers guests a chance to discover their inner cowboy or cowgirl at its Cowboy School April 23-28. This five-day experience includes the basics of horsemanship, wrangling, competitive games and traditional tricks of the trade. If you can’t make it to the school, complimentary horseback trail riding is always available to guests, as well as more immersive add-ons ($145 and up) at Triple Creek’s 26,000-acre sister ranch — CB Ranch — across the valley. These experiences include an all day cross-country horseback ride, a dose of history with a ride along the Lewis and Clark Trail and the opportunity to participate in an actual cattle drive and herd pinning. Triple Creek is an all-inclusive property with all meals, alcoholic beverages and select ranch activities included in the nightly rate.
Triple Creek Ranch. $1,550 per night for two adults; $850 for solo travelers. 5551 W. Fork Road, Darby, Montana. 800-654-2943, www.triplecreekranch.com.
Credit: Montgomery Whitewater Park
Credit: Montgomery Whitewater Park
Whitewater rafting in Alabama
Just under a 2.5-hour drive from Atlanta, Montgomery Whitewater Park is a 120-acre, recirculating whitewater park and outdoor adventure center on the banks of the Alabama River. Two man-made channels offer paddlers consistent class II-IV rapids. There is also mountain biking, running, walking trails, bouldering opportunities, an aerial ropes course and zip lines. New this spring for students grades 4-12 are the STEM Field Trip and the Adventure Education Field Trip for groups of eight or more. The trips can be customized to meet the needs of individual groups but all include opportunities for hands-on exploration, team building and personal growth in a real-world natural setting that promotes problem-solving and teamwork while building confidence and fostering a sense of adventure. The price for each field trip is $10 per participant with multiple add-on activities available such as scavenger hunts and bike rides starting at $6 per person.
Montgomery Whitewater Park. $39 and up for whitewater rafting. 1100 Maxwell Blvd., Montgomery, Alabama. 334-746-6530, montgomerywhitewater.com.
Credit: ArcheoRunning
Credit: ArcheoRunning
Running tours in Rome
If you already have a trip to Italy planned this spring, consider seeing the sites of Rome in a new and engaging way with a running tour. Embracing the trend of active tourism, ArcheoRunning offers a plethora of sightseeing tours where you run (or power walk) to see sites from the Appian Way and the aqueducts to the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, among many other spots in and around the Eternal City. Some tours take place in the early morning hours before the sites are filled with tourists. New this spring is the Stargazing Running Tour with a celestial perspective on the Roman skies both in real life and with stops to see the star-painted ceilings of historic churches and inside the Pantheon to view the sky through its 2,000-year-old open-air oculus that serves as the famous structure’s only source of natural light and ventilation.
ArcheoRunning. $54 and up. Via Luigi Mancinelli, 34, 00199, Rome. +39 340 558 3615, www.archeorunning.com.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Hiking in Utah
Some of the more scenic hiking trails in the Desert Southwest are found inside Zion National Park in Southern Utah, the state’s first (of five) and most-visited national park. Day hikes are centered in and around the park’s namesake canyon, a gorge that runs for 16 miles and reaches a depth of 2,000 feet in places. The strenuous 5.4-mile Angels Landing Trail (permit required) features scrambles up and down steep rocky surfaces and narrow pathways with chains for holding onto to keep from falling into the canyon, with the payoff being stunning canyon views from on-high. At the bottom of the canyon, the 9.6-mile Narrows Trail is actually the shallow Virgin River, so you’re walking in ankle-to-waist-deep water surrounded by the soaring, 1,000-foot-high walls of a slot canyon. Backpackers looking for solitude should head to the lesser-trafficked Kolob Canyons section of the park for a backcountry experience. The 14-mile La Verkin Creek Trail leads to Kolob Arch, one of the world’s largest freestanding natural arches located in a place that’s hard for day-trippers to reach.
Zion National Park. $20 and up entrance passes. 1 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, Utah. 435-772-3256, www.nps.gov/zion.
Credit: Eden Roc Cap Cana
Credit: Eden Roc Cap Cana
Golf in Dominican Republic
The town of Punta Cana on the east coast of Dominican Republic and its adjacent master-planned resort community of Cap Cana have become a haven for golfers over the last two decades. The area has numerous resort courses designed by acclaimed architects such as Tom Fazio and P.B. Dye. The cream of the crop, though, has to be Punta Espada ($395 and up per round. www.puntaespadagolf.com). Designed by the Golden Bear himself, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, the challenging 18-hole, par-72 course with eight holes along the ocean has won numerous awards. Golfweek magazine named it the best course in the Caribbean for eight consecutive years. A stay at the ultra-luxe beachfront resort Eden Roc Cap Cana includes a round at Punta Espada as part of its Golf and Gastronomy package. Eden Roc has an on-call golf concierge known as a “golf butler” to help with course recommendations, tee times, equipment deliveries, transportation and muscle recovery after a day on the links.
Eden Roc Cap Cana. $1,000 and up. Cap Cana, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, 23000. 809-469-7469, www.edenroccapcana.com.
Credit: Visit Florida
Credit: Visit Florida
Kiteboarding in Florida
One of the best places in the Southeast for kiteboarding (aka kitesurfing) — an extreme sport that has grown in popularity over the last few years and largely replaced the sport of windsurfing — is St. Petersburg, Florida, around the mouth of Tampa Bay. The conditions are ripe on the wide-open expanses of flat, shallow water with optimal wind conditions at beach launch spots inside Fort De Soto Park and on Skyway Beach at the foot of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Skyway Beach is considered one of the best places for beginners, and numerous outfitters offer lessons including Elite Watersports ($190 and up. 727-800-2202, elitewatersports.com). Best Pro Kiteboarding (727-390-6565, bestprokiteboarding.com) has affordable group lessons ($85 per person) for up to four people and individual lessons ($250 per person). Experienced kiteboarders with their own gear who are also into camping will appreciate the convenient location of Fort De Soto Campground inside Fort De Soto Park. The campground sits between two of the best kiteboarding launch spots at East Beach and North Beach.
Fort De Soto Campground. $38 and up. 3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde, Florida. 727-582-2100, pinellas.gov.
Mountain biking in Costa Rica
Mountain biking (MTB) may not spring to mind when you think of Costa Rica, but some areas of the country have been called “South Moab” by the fat tire set, a reference to Southern Utah’s MTB mecca of Moab. For hard-core singletrackers, Costa Rica MTB Adventures (604-265-3647, www.costaricamtb.com) has guided, small-group, weeklong excursions ($1,895 per person) on trails through the jungle with accommodations, transportation and breakfast included each day. If a full week is too much, the company’s guided day rides ($195 per person) might be a good fit. In the Guanacaste province, the Rio Perdido Hotel, situated along a thermal river, has its own bike park with varied terrain and 13 miles of trails in a 1,500-acre private reserve. After running the circuit, bikers can relax in the natural hot springs on site, engage in a meditation session or take a craft cocktail class utilizing local tropical fruits.
Rio Perdido Hotel. $460 and up. Provincia de Guanacaste, Bagaces, 50401, Costa Rica. +506 2673 3600, www.rioperdido.com.
Trout fishing in North Carolina
Atlantans looking to cast a line for brook, brown and rainbow trout are a short drive away from some of the best fly-fishing streams and rivers on the Eastern Seaboard in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Some of the best casting spots can be found along the Tuckasegee River (“the Tuck” to locals) and its numerous feeder streams and creeks on the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail in Jackson County, officially recognized by the state as the “North Carolina Trout Capital.” Since it’s hard to tell public from private property in the mountains, it’s best to have a knowledgeable guide with access rights lead the way. In Cashiers, Brookings Anglers offers guided wade and float trips on the Tuck and other waterways like the Davidson, Nantahala and French Broad rivers as well as a full-day fly fishing school ($350). Looking to splurge? The Horse Shoe Farm’s three-day, two-night Be Reel package ($3,150 for two) includes a fishing excursion with spa treatments and a pre-fixe dinner afterward in luxe cabin accommodations.
Brookings Anglers. $275 and up guided trips. 88 Cashiers Lake Road, Cashiers, North Carolina. 828-743-3768, brookingsonline.com.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
